Takeshi Inomoto & Sound Limited's 'Sounds of Sound L.T.D.' album cover

Takeshi Inomata / Sound Limited 
Sounds Of Sound L.T.D.
1970
Genre: Japanese funk-jazz

Prolific drummer Takeshi Inomata was a fan of the brass-heavy rock-jazz that was coming into vogue in the late 60s, and so he formed Sound Limited to explore this territory.

The opening track, “Theme/Mustache,” is a stunning blend of funky rock-jazz, smooth horns and grooving organ, and even a dash of free jazz chaos. With a seemingly random foray into “Hey Jude” at the end, this feels like one of those joints that would have cranked live. The album is short, coming in at just over a half hour, but delivers twice the groove you’d expect. I tend to classify this more as funk-jazz with only the barest tingest of rock-jazz, but I like it better that way.

Sadly, Takeshi died in 2024. He left behind dozens of albums of music to explore.

Recommended tracks: “Theme/Mustache,” “Tak’s Tune,” “Joint,” “Scotland Scene”

Review originally published May 7, 2025.